Dear Embarc Community,
Over the past several weeks, we have been humbled by the outpouring of support, care, advocacy, and generosity shown towards Embarc and our mission. Thank you to every person who donated, shared our campaign, reached out with encouragement, reflected on memories, connected us to possibilities, and reminded us just how deeply this work has mattered to so many people over the last 16 years.
After extensive efforts to secure the resources necessary to sustain the organization, we have made the difficult decision to conclude the pledge campaign and move forward with dissolving the organization at the end of May.
Embarc has been a place of connection, possibility, joy, and transformation for thosands of young people, educators, and partners across Chicago. Over 16 years, together we built experiences that helped students see themselves differently, imagine futures they may not have previously envisioned, and feel a greater sense of belonging in their city and the world around them.
There is immense sadness in this moment. Yet the core of this organization has always been relationships. And relationships do not simply disappear because this chapter of the work is coming to a close.
The connections students formed with themselves, with new ideas, with classmates, teachers, mentors, and communities across Chicago will continue. The doors that were opened to new places and possibilities for young people will remain open in the ways students carry those experiences forward. And the extraordinary investment, creativity, vulnerability, and drive of educators to create the most meaningful and interesting education possible for young people will continue to ripple outward far beyond Embarc itself.
There are many meaningful Embarc memories that have impacted us all. Maybe it was a conversation with a student at a community social. A moment of courage during an experience. A classroom reflection that shifted something. A connection that surprised you. We believe that each of these moments brought something that we can each carry forward in our communities, our relationships, and the ways we show up for young people and one another.
Thank you for believing in this work and for being part of the Embarc story.
With deep gratitude,
Embarc Board of Directors
